Statement: On Proposed Comcast/Time Warner Cable Merger

STATEMENT: From Media Mobilizing Project Policy Director Hannah Sassaman, on the occasion of the Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Cable proposed merger.

Late Wednesday evening, Philadelphia-based Comcast Corporation and Manhattan-based Time Warner Cable announced plans to merge. The statement below can be attributed to Media Mobilizing Project Policy Director Hannah Sassaman:

“Philadelphians woke up this morning to a city crippled under a foot of snow and with the troubling news that Comcast would attempt to merge with America’s 2nd largest cable company, Time Warner Cable. Here in Comcast’s hometown, Media Mobilizing Project strongly opposes these two companies in their attempts to merge.

In Philadelphia, Comcast is the major provider of cable service and internet. Like millions in other communities, we pay huge prices for unsatisfactory service (1), while at least a third of our city lacks broadband in the home (2). And at the same time that Comcast has profited from Philadelphia consumers and consumers nationwide, Comcast has fought Philadelphians’ rights to paid days off from work (3), fought its own employees when they have tried to organize into a union, and failed to live up to its commitment to solve the digital divide through a previous merger-negotiated condition, the Internet Essentials Program. Merging with Time Warner – a company with almost as terrible a record as Comcast – will hurt choices for consumers while hurting communities.

The Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice should oppose this merger, which would extend one company’s control over the communications access of two thirds of American homes. We look forward to joining with allies locally and nationwide in opposing this merger and amplifying the voices of the people who would be impacted by it. Here in Comcast’s hometown, Media Mobilizing Project will stand against this merger, and for the communications justice and human rights that all people deserve.”

Media Mobilizing Project collaborates with poor and working people to tell the untold stories that help end poverty in Philadelphia and nationwide. To learn more about Media Mobilizing Project and to stay abreast of our work, visit https://mediamobilizing.org or email info@mediamobilizing.org.